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Hi, I’m Carin Rockind. Welcome to PPND Bites, where we give you 60-second helpings of the Positive Psychology News you need to know. It’s often asked, “I’m just one person. Is there anything I can do?” The answer is yes. Jonathan Haidt, positive psychologist at Yale has a great TED talk where he talks about the superorganism, that certainly when there is an individual who as Adam Grant calls a taker, someone who is greedy, who is selfish, is compared or up against somebody who is nice, who is kind, who is cooperative, then the greedy person might win. When we come together and we form what’s called a superorganism, we actually can make anything happen.

See, humans are social creatures. We’re social animals. We evolve to be in a tribe and do our part toward the greater good. It’s why research from 2005 shows us that altruism makes us happier. We have this amazing opportunity to band together as a superorganism as Jonathan Haidt calls it. Then we can create anything that we want to in the world. With that, we hope that this helps you to live a healthier, happier, and more altruistic, beautiful life. Take care, and have a beautiful day. Bye for now.

A significant number of my coaching clients want to build their professional networks. To capture some of their reasons, let me start with the stories of Roger and Susannah, a hypothetical married couple.

Brainstorming about networking

Roger just got promoted to the next level on the technical ladder, which involves a substantial pay raise and a move to Albuquerque, NM. When his boss decided to nominate him for the promotion, she asked him for a list of 10 people from across the company who would support his promotion. Roger had the list ready for her within a day.

When they got to Albuquerque, Susannah wanted a job in a biotech lab. She put out the word to her network and heard back in a few days that a friend of a friend could introduce her to a director in a good lab.

How did Roger and Susannah build the networks that supported their career goals? Did this come naturally to them or is this a skill that can be learned? If your manager said to you, “Build your network,” would your heart sink, or would you know just what to do?

For some people networking comes easily. They gravitate towards meeting new people at conferences and work events. They collect cards and then actually do something with them. They are curious, so they ask questions. Afterwards, they remember what matters to the people they meet. But for the rest of us, building a strong network is a daunting prospect.

The “Build Your Network” Experiment

I’m a strong believer in experimentation. So, let me suggest an experiment to try if you decide you want to build your network to help you to expand your opportunities or have more influence in the job you already have.

I learned this technique from a human resources VP at IBM whose name I don’t remember. Yes, I know I lose networking points here. I wish I did remember her name because I’d like to thank her for an idea that has helped many of our clients at Silicon Valley Change make progress toward their career goals. My fellow coaches and I have suggested this approach to many clients. Our clients find that it breaks the daunting job of building a network into two much less intimidating activities.

The “Build Your Network” Tool

Step 1. Take Inventory
Set up three columns on a piece of paper or spreadsheet.

In the first column, list people that would greet you by name, for example in a meeting, or on your walk for a morning coffee.

In the second column, list people who know something substantial about the way you work. These could be people that you’ve worked for or that have worked for you, people from teams or task forces you’ve been on, or executives you’ve presented to. Think about all aspects of your work life to date. Include people outside the company such as clients you’ve helped or suppliers where you’ve managed the external relationship.

In the third column, list people who would be happy to be your champion. These are the ones that would already be ready to write you a glowing recommendation or speak out on your behalf. Your third column may be empty. That’s ok.

It’s a very simple spreadsheet, and pencil and paper works fine too. Here’s a blank copy you could download to get started. The image below shows the first start on an inventory made by someone working in a company of Smiths.

(Click to see larger view.)

Step 2. Take Action
Every 3 to 6 months, pull out your list and take the following actions.

Add new names as needed.

Figure out ways to move a few people from column 1 to column 2.

Figure out ways to move 1 or 2 people from column 2 to column 3.

Think about ways to keep people in column 3. Even your champions need an occasional touch to maintain the relationship.

Usually moving a person to a new column involves doing something that will contribute to that person’s success. It might involve making an introduction, sending information that person would find useful, volunteering to do something that would move that person’s project forward.

For further information, Give and Take by Wharton professor Adam Grant has many ideas about ways to be a smart giver. In a future article, I’ll explore more ways to move people from one column to the next.

This approach will help you keep track of your network and build it further, one person at a time. When it is time to ask for recommendations or job opportunities or any kind of help, you know the people to ask, and they are likely to remember you favorably.

Web of connections

How One Client Used This Tool

One client who is already very good at networking told me that every month he arranges a one-on-one with a peer in another part of the organization. He finds it harder to build and maintain relationships with people outside his reporting structure, so he makes a point of making contacts with people outside his group. During his one-on-one conversations, he keeps his ears open for the other person’s priorities. That enables him to recognize opportunities to contribute to the other person’s success.

You may find when you take inventory that your network is already richer than you thought it would be. You are also likely to find some relationships that need care and feeding.

I would be glad to hear what you think about these two steps and how you imagine using the Build Your Network tool. Please share your thoughts and plans in the comments below.

Hi, I’m Carin Rockind. Welcome to PPND Bites, where we give you 60-second helpings of the positive psychology news you need to know. Big question, are happiness and intellect correlated? The answer might be yes.

Recent research shows that looking at people who are 50 years and older, and looking at their intellect, their cognitive ability, as well as their subjective well being, indeed there was a correlation. The people with the higher intellect were happier. Similar research in 2015 showed the same thing, that a study of nearly 6900 people, looked at IQ scores and subjective well-being scores, and what they found were those with the lowest IQ also had lower happiness.

So, indeed there seems to be a correlation. We don’t exactly know why, is it that people with higher intellect have more opportunity, or are more liked? We don’t know, I’d love to hear from you on why you think that is. With that we hope you enjoyed this PPND Bite, we hope it helps you live a happier better and more fulfilling life. Bye for now.

The 9th European Conference, held in beautiful Budapest, was a wonderful event showcasing the latest science and practice from across the globe. In addition to the professional learning, the Europeans put on a terrific social program. They always do! The Conference Dinner cruise along the famous Danube River helped us build international friendships and professional connections while enjoying Hungarian food and looking at historic buildings.

The stimulating and collegial learning environment created by the conference organizers is also a value that we hold dear at IPPA. It was exciting to learn from many scientists and practitioners in Budapest

We have secured the names we all love to learn from such as Martin Seligman, Barbara Frederickson, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and Sir Anthony Seldon. Importantly, you will have the opportunity to hear new voices and new ideas. We have been fortunate to secure speakers from many parts of the globe including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, England, Mexico, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, India, South Africa, Israel, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.

If you want to be a speaker, watch for the invitation for abstract submissions in August.

International Panel on Positive Health and Medicine members

Is Medicine Ready for Positive Psychology? Innovative Research from the Front Lines of Positive Health

In this Positive Health and Medicine symposium led by Dr. Svala Sigurðardóttir, panelists shared their experiences applying positive theories, research, and innovative methodologies in medical and health care settings. Panelists included: Merethe Dronnen (Denmark), Lisa Buksbaum (USA), Kathi Norman (USA), Elaine O’Brien (USA), and Marlena Kossakowska (Poland – missing from picture). The aim here was to advance positive health and medicine at research and policy levels, while presenting critical aspects and positive implications of each panelist’s work. Plans are underway for a Positive Health and Medicine invited symposium at the 2019 IPPA World Conference with Svala as chair, and Kathi, Lisa, and Elaine to present the cutting-edge research and applications at the 2019 IPPA World Conference.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Andrea Ortega Bechara

Conference Highlights

It was fitting that positive psychology pioneer, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, of Hungarian ancestry, kicked off the ECPP in Budapest. He discussed the importance of well-being applications within the social-cultural context. He discussed the growth of positive psychology via individuals, and individual traits, but emphasized that we need to know more about the context of social systems for improving the quality of life.

In discussing the World Values Survey, Csikszentmihalyi, discussed trust, equality, happiness, and peace, saying, “If you want to change the world, make war less likely, and make peace a goal.” He also introduced Andrea Ortega Bechara, Columbia, who spoke about Science for Peace, and her passionate work in fighting poverty, lifting up education, and bringing peace to a country.

Dora Gudrun Gudmundsdottir (Iceland), president of the European Network for Positive Psychology, was a welcoming force, bringing positive energy and great professionalism to the conference. Dora presented during the invited symposium, Meaning in Surprising and Unsurprising Places, with chair, Michael Steger (USA), Bradley Conner (USA), Tamor Martos (Hungary), and Helena Agueda Marujo (Portugal). Helena gave an earnest plea in her talk for co-constructing collective meaning as a contribution to peace. Helena and her husband Luis Neto, are the leaders of MAPP Portugal.

An uplifting panel on Positive Education included Denise Quinlan, who works delivering training and consultation along with Lucy Hone in New Zealand. Denise discussed the power of whole school changes and how change is an iterative process that takes about 5 years using science, play, practice and implementation.

Along with the Positive Health and Medicine Symposium, I presented a workshop, MAPP Somatics: Let Me Hear Your Body Talk to a fantastic group of participants in the Gratitude Room.

The ECPP 2018 offered excellent social events to complement the scientific program. These including a Ruin Pub Crawl, yoga, sing-alongs, painting together, a thermal bath visit, and a gorgeous dinner river cruise on the Danube.

Ten years ago, I attended my first ECPP in Opatija, Croatia, 2008. This time too, dancing on the river cruise was a real treat. What a great way to have fun, boost energy, and build cherished connections! The ECPP was a full of embodied positive moments and shared experiences that helped build the bridges among us.

ANNOUNCEMENT: On August 15, we will have a Positive Psychology News webinar featuring Karen Warner, who will be speaking about The Sudden Caregiver’s Paradox: her discovery, first-hand, that caregiving for a loved one, while being inarguably depleting, can be, for many, a surprising source of well-being.

Karen Warner

Karen Warner, MAPP ’13, became a sudden caregiver in October of 2014, when her late husband, Joel Kurtzman, was diagnosed with incurable stage IV cancer. Seeking, and not finding, a roadmap to guide her caregiving experience and decisionmaking, she was determined to create one in Joel’s honor. When Joel passed away in April 2016, she began writing Stumbling Upon Grace: The Sudden Caregiver’s Playbook, which is now nearing completion. With encouragement from the medical community and the support of a MAPP Alumni Association grant, she is also building an online community for caregivers – www.thesuddencaregiver.com.

In this webinar, Karen will reveal her playbook for caregivers and the five ways they can mindfully elevate wellbeing, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Karen Warner

In addition to her work with caregivers, Karen is president and founder of TangibleGroup, an executive coaching and consulting firm –www.tangiblegroup.com. Before launching Tangible, Karen had a 27-year corporate career in high tech marketing, including serving as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing in private equity. She has held management and executive positions at companies that include Dun and Bradstreet, American Express, Lotus Development and IBM.

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